Ash tray assembly



July 25, 967 R. G. coRBlN I ASH TRAY ASSEMBLY med oct. 2z, 1965 I N V E NTOR. Wwse/ Korb/'17 ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,332,541 ASH TRAY ASSEMBLY Russel G. Corbin, Rochester, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,093 Claims. (Cl. 206-19.5)

This invention relates to an ash tray assembly and more particularly to an ash tray assembly mounted within a trim panel.

One feature of this invention is that it provides an improved ash tray assembly including an ash receiver and common means for mounting the assembly within an opening in a trim panel and for mounting the receiver on the assembly. Another feature of this invention is that the common means permits the assembly to be mounted in place in a very simple and expedient manner. A further feature of this invention is that the assembly includes an escutcheon engageable with the trim panel around the opening therein and the mounting means includes a resilient member engageable with the panel opposite the escutcheon for holding the assembly in place. Yet another feature of this invention is that the resilient member is additionally resiliently engageable with the ash receiver to hold the ash receiver within the escutcheon. Yet a further feature of this invention is that the resilient member includes a spring clip having a pair of bifurcated legs engageable with the trim panel opposite the escutcheon and a resilient leg intermediate the bifurcated legs and extending oppositely thereof for engaging a wall of the ash receiver.

These and other features of the invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational View of an ash tray assembly according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partially broken away plan View of the assembly;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view; and

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view.

Referring now to the drawings, a vehicle body, not shown, includes a trim panel assembly designated generally which includes a generally rectangularly shaped opening 12. The panel 10 may be made up of an inner sheet metal member 14 and one or more layers 16 of trim fabric and backing cloth or material.

The ash tray assembly includes a generally rectangularly shaped escutcheon 18 having a depending wall or skirt 20 of generally the shape and extent of the opening 12 and a continuous peripheral iiange 22 which overlies the trim panel assembly 10 around the opening 12. As can be seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, the sides of the skirt 20 taper inward-ly of the escutcheon for ease of insertion. Legs 24 and 26 depend from opposite ends of the skirt 20. A generally arcuately shaped cover 28 includes a finger tab 30 which engages one of the sides of skirt 20 to locate the cover in closed position, as shown in FIGURES l and 2. As best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the cover includes oppositely disposed angle tabs 32 and the bent legs of mounting arms 34 and 36 are riveted or otherwise secured to the tabs 32. The arms 34 and 36 are pivoted at 38 to the legs 24 and 26, respectively, of the escutcheon to thereby pivotally mount the cover on the escutcheon. As best shown in FIGURE 3, the arm 36 includes an additional leg 40 and a coil tension spring 42 is hooked between this leg and a notch at the free end of the leg 26 to thereby selectively and alternately bias the cover 28 to either its closed or open positions. When the spring ends are to the left of the pivot 38, FIGURE 3, the spring biases the cover to closed posi- Mice tion and when the spring ends are located to the right of the pivot 38 the spring biases the cover to open position.

An ash receiver designated generally 44 is adapted to fit within the opening of the escutcheon and is provided with a peripheral ange 46 which is adapted to seat on a flange 48 of skirt 20 to locate the ash tray in place.

A pair of like spring clips designated generally 54 are secured by pivots 38 to legs 24 and 26 of the escutcheon. Each spring clip includes a pair of bifurcated legs 58 which extend outwardly from the body portion of the clip and from the legs 24 and 26 so as to be engageable with the inner panel 14 of the trim assembly 10 generally opposite the flange 22 of the escutcheon to hold the escutcheon in place within the opening 12 in the trim panel. When the ash tray assembly is mounted in place within the opening, the bifurcated legs 58 are swung inwardly toward their respective mounting legs so as to pass through the opening 12 and thereafter the legs 5S swing outwardly relative to their mounting legs so as to engage the trim panel. It can thus be seen that the ash tray assembly can easily and effectively be mounted on the body without the use of any special tools or otherwise.

As best shown in FIGURE 2, a leg 60 of generally arcuate cross section extends from the body of each spring clip intermediate the legs 58 thereof. Legs 60 extend inwardly of legs 24 and 26 through openings 62 therein and the free ends of these legs are bent slightly laterally so as to present a curved surface for engagement with the end walls of the ash receiver 44 to thereby frictionally and releasably hold the ash receiver 44 within the escutcheon. Of course, the receiver can easily be removed by grasping the snuifer 64 thereof and pulling the receiver out of the escutcheon.

It can thus be seen that a common means is provided for both mounting the ash tray assembly in place on a body trim panel and for mounting the ash tray on the assembly. Preferably the ash receiver 44 is removed before the assembly is mounted in the opening on the trim panel so as to allow the spring clip legs 58 to move inwardly of the assembly until they have passed through the opening 12 of the panel.

Thus this invention provides an improved ash tray assembly.

I claim:

1. In combination with a trim panel having an opening therein, an ash tray assembly comprising a support member fitting within the opening of the trim panel and having a flange portion overlying the edge of the trim panel adjacent the opening, an ash receiver releasably mounted on said support member, and mounting means mounted on said support member and having a first portion engaging said trim panel opposite said support member flange portion to retain said support member on said trim panel and a second portion engaging said ash receiver to retain said ash receiver on said support member.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes a resilient member, said rst portion projecting from the body of said member toward said trim panel and said second portion projecting from the body of said member toward said ash receiver.

3. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes a resilient member, said member havingY a pair of legs engageable longitudinally thereof with said trim panel and a leg intermediate said pair of legs resiliently engaging said ash receiver.

4. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes a spring clip secured to said support member and having a pair of bifurcated legs engageable longitudinally thereof with said trim panel 3 and a leg intermediate said bifurcated legs extending angularly relative thereto and into resilient engagement with said ash receiver.

5. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said support member includes a pair of depending portions r'extending therefrom, said mounting means includes a bifurcated spring clip member having the legs thereof engageable longitudinally with the trim panel and a leg intermediate said bifurcated legs projecting through an References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS `6/1923 OKane. 7/ 1948 Hendricks.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A TRIM PANEL HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN, AN ASH TRAY ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A SUPPORT MEMBER FITTING WITHIN THE OPENING OF THE TRIM PANEL AND HAVING A FLANGE PORTION OVERLYING THE EDGES OF THE TRIM PANEL ADJACENT THE OPENING, AN ASH RECEIVER RELEASABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, AND MOUNTING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEMBER AND HAVING A FIRST PORTION ENGAGING SAID TRIM PANEL OPPOSITE SAID SUPPORT MEMBER 